Tag: teeth

Mole is teething. It is horrendous. Mainly because i’m sad?that i’m not going to see her gummy smile for much longer 🙁

We both got hit hard with the 4 month sleep regression and now this :'( TEETHING.

As Mole is my first baby I have no previous experience with a teething baby. I didn’t even know for sure whether what Mole was going through is down to teething until I found myself yet again on Google checking all her symptoms fearing for the worst.

8 Teething Symptoms

Mole has no teeth so far and I was unsure that she was teething because at 4 months old babies do a lot of exploring and learning with their mouth and she has always been one to chew her toys. I had to look out for other symptoms to be sure before I started on any pain killers for no reason.

• Drooling a lot:?I use the word drool as it sounds a lot more severe than dribble. It is so bad some days that I am beginning to think my little Mole is turning into a dog! Her clothes are soaked so we have invested in some cute dribble bibs. I like these ones because they are pink and do the job:?https://amzn.to/2P5Y3Rd
• Chewing on her hands:?Scary really because she chews on her fingers that much I am surprised there is anything left of them. If she is not chewing on her own fingers then she is grabbing mine!
• Flushed Cheeks: This one was difficult for me to notice as we had just come back off holiday and Mole had a cheeky tan. A few weeks later now we are back and the tan has gone I can see her cheeks get flushed when she is on a chewing frenzy.
• Rubbing her face: This is one of Mole’s symptoms for when she is tired so it was a harder one to spot for teething but she has definitely started rubbing at her face in an agitated way. I have to keep checking her nails are super short so she doesn’t scratch herself.
• Trouble sleeping: 🙁 🙁 🙁 when you just get out of the 4 month sleep regression and then get hit with this one. She really can not sleep with her teething troubles. Her naps during the day have decreased and at night she is waking up almost hourly again and when she is awake she finds it so hard to fall back to sleep again. Coffee is my best friend right now.
• Saying NO to food: Mole is a bottle guzzler. Theres no question about it. However, She has recently started pushing the bottle away out of her mouth yet at the same time crying because she is hungry. On the other hand some days are different, which leads me onto my next point.
• Comfort eating: If she is not pushing the bottle out of her mouth in a temper tantrum she is comfort eating. She will have her bottle even when she is not really hungry or she will have her bottle as a method to fall back to sleep. I may be in the wrong allowing myself to comfort feed my baby but when it is 3:30 in the morning and you have been up 4 times all ready, you pretty much do anything for them to fall back to sleep.
• I have saved the best till last. Symptom number 8: Explosive poo’s! You know the kind that go up the back and through to their best clothes. TMI. But it is related.

“My mother always told me that teeth are a pain coming and going.”

6 Tips helping Mole through teething

From the second I realised Mole was teething I began to research and ask other mums what they have found to have been the best methods to help relieve their baby’s teething pain. Here are my top tips for teething that have worked for us:

• Calpol: It is a shame this heavenly stuff doesn’t come on a drip. Now, I am the type of person who won’t take a paracetamol even if my leg is falling off, I’m just not into putting lot’s of medicine into your body if you can really get through it without it if you know what I mean. So I was reluctant to give Mole Calpol but she really needed it. Teething can be so painful for them and they are really not themselves whilst going through teething. Calpol helps to relieve her pain and I notice a big difference in her mood 15 minutes later. Giving my baby paracetamol has helped to bring Mole’s temperature down. Especially at night when she has trouble sleeping due to her pain, it has given her the chance to get her head down for a couple of hours pain free.
• A good teether: In my opinion I have found the best teether on the market. Matchstick Monkey. They are FDA approved and BPA free. Mole only has a little mouth and so many teethers we have tried in the past haven’t worked because they are too big for her to chew, or she just gets fed up by the sight of them, but, Matchstick monkey teethers are small enough for her to hold and chew and the luminous colour catches her eye. On one side of the teether there are little bumps and she loves the texture. This side of the teether can also act as a toothbrush or an applicator for applying teething gel. There are a variety of colours of the cute little monkey’s so you can pick your favourite! I am a bit funny with making sure Mole’s dummy’s and her teether’s are clean. In the past I have put teethers in the dishwasher and they have come out stuck together and completely ruined. Matchstick Monkey’s are dishwasher safe and you can even put them in the freezer to relieve pain for your baby. Can you tell how much I love them? https://pinkmole.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_3808.mov

• Letting Mole rest: I’m always up and about going places with her, whether it is attending a baby class or going shopping. I have learnt that whilst she is going through this pain just to let her rest at home. We are both not sleeping much during the night so it is just a recipe for disaster forcing ourselves to do physical activities together. Whilst she have been catching up on her sleep during the day it has given me the chance to enjoy my home and have a good chill out too. All the stuff you dream about whilst your in work.https://pinkmole.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_4010.mov

• Pack extra nappies and a change of clothes: As I mentioned before one of Mole’s symptoms have been her bottom. Now I have come to terms with excepting its going to be part of my day dealing with this and getting myself prepared for the inevitable, I have coped much easier. Let’s face it, you have just spent what little money you have from your maternity pay on the cutest outfit ever for your baby and then they go all chicken korma on you. It will test your patience. Especially if you’re out without a spare change of clothes for them. 😮 .
• Teething Gel: Mole is currently having Dentinox Teething Gel. I use a clean finger or rub it over her Matchstick Monkey to apply it to her gums. So far it can ease her pain for around 20 minutes and then you are allowed to apply more. I also believe that the taste of the teething gel distracts her from the pain for a short while too. Using the teething gel alone, has not been the best solution to completely stopping her pain, but it has helped to comfort her just a little and as Tesco would say “every little helps”?;) .

• I have saved the best tip till last 😀 … Lot’s of cuddles and kisses!!!!! Mole has been extra clingy whilst teething and secretly I am loving this side of her. I have been having daytime bed cuddles with her, cuddling her whilst watching Baby TV (her favourite) and holding her hand whilst out and about. There is no medicine out there like mummy’s cuddle medicine.

I hope you find some of the tips here useful!

PLEASE SHARE & COMMENT

What are your top teething tips?